The former pizza mogul is riding the crest with increasing credibility as his GOP counterparts continue to stumble on untimely gaffes and brain locks on the national stage.
Some political pundits have opined that the Florida straw poll victory is not so much a win for Cain as it is a loss for Republican presidential front-runner Rick Perry.
“This is a sign of our growing momentum and my candidacy that cannot be ignored,” Cain said in a statement. “I will continue to share my message of ‘common sense solutions’ across this country and look forward to spending more time in Florida, a critical state for both the nomination and the general election.”
There are three reasons for Cain’s surprising catapult back into the national spotlight. First, political observers declared Cain the clear winner in the latest round of GOP debates last week. With jobs, or the lack thereof, capturing the overwhelming attention of the American electorate, having a businessman articulate sensible solutions to his base has helped him accrue a growing fan base.
Secondly, the last two GOP front-runners have shown a remarkable penchant for mind-boggling mistakes. Influential conservative bloggers characterized Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s performance at the GOP debates as a train wreck.
Cain also has earned the endorsement of high-profile political pundits in recent days, such as Erick Erickson of the Red State blog as well as Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com. The combination of these circumstances helped Cain raise more money in the 48 hours prior to the Florida straw poll than he had during the days of his entire campaign combined, he stated.
Nevertheless, Cain’s fans should pause before they start throwing babies up in the air. A straw poll victory is hardly a real primary win. Also, as we’ve seen, a lot can happen along the long, arduous and treacherous road to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Remember that just a month or so ago, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann became the national flavor of the month when she surprisingly won the Iowa straw poll and was considered the front-runner. Several ill-advised statements later, combined with Perry’s entry into the race, and it is Bachmann’s campaign that is now barely registering a pulse.
–terry shropshire
